African Microfinance Partner Profile: Opportunity International - Ghana

History

Sinapi Aba Trust, OptINnow's partner in Ghana, West Africa, is a Christian microfinance organization founded in 1994 as one of the founding implementing partners with Opportunity International Network.

Sinapi Aba Trust was formed as a micro finance institution to provide small loans and micro credit services to the poorest of the working poor in Ghana. These loans are given to viable micro enterprises which lack the resources to gain financial assistance from the commercial banking institutions.

The background, formation, and mission statements of Sinapi Aba Trust reflect the entrepreneurial spirit of the working poor in West Africa. "The Companies mission is to serve as the mustard seed through which opportunities for enterprise development and income generation are provided to the economically disadvantaged, but active poor, to transform their lives."

Sinapi Aba Trust’s vision to fight poverty is "to become an institution dedicated to the building of a nation under Almighty God where the strong help the weak and all people have the dignity of providing for themselves, their families, their Church and the community. Our aim is to be the market leader in the provision of micro credit services in Ghana and a standard by which other institution in the micro finance industry measure performance."

Sinapi Aba offers specialized business training in entrepreneurial skills, basic accounting, savings tips, and credit acquisition. In addition, SAT partners with health institutions to educate clients on socially related issues that affect their lives, such as AIDS education, nutrition, and family relationships.

Sinapi Aba Trust is committed to serving the poor, being good stewards of their resources including that of their donors, respecting the poor and holding high integrity in the field.

World poverty can be defined as many things, in Ghana poverty is defined as 51.7% of 23 million people living on $2.00 or less a day, the great majority of whom are women. Fighting poverty in Ghana means bringing the HIV/AIDS rate down from +5%. Ghana stands as a leader in West African Microfinance development, Sinapi Aba Trust has proven this method of development.

Ghana Microloan Statistics

Number of Active Clients: 76,005
Portfolio Outstanding: $12,896,435
Portfolio Overdue 30 days: 2.4%
Average Loan Size: $609
Percent of Loans to Women: 82.6%
Operational Sustainability: 134.8%

Poverty in Ghana

Unemployment rate: 11%
HIV/AIDS rate: 5%
Population below poverty line: 28.5%

Stay connected with OptINnow

Sign Up for OptINnow communications:

Or follow and friend us: